Chelsea Linked With Coutinho

Former Liverpool Man In For Hazard?

Chelsea are monitoring Phillippe Coutinho’s situation at Barcelona as they start to eye up potential replacements for Eden Hazard.

Belgium international Hazard is almost certain to move to Real Madrid this summer with Chelsea set to demand around £100million for the 28-year-old. Real will try and land Hazard for around half that figure at the most. The Chelsea man is out of contract at the end of next season.

Coutinho hasn’t been an automatic first-team choice for Barcelona since his £105million transfer from Liverpool in January of last year. He has made 20 appearances in La Liga so far this season but seven of those have come as a substitute. Coach Ernesto Valverde has preferred Ousmane Dembele and even Arturo Vidal to Coutinho.

Chelsea have already signed Christian Pulisic from Borussia Dortmund although the USA international has been loaned back to the Bundesliga side for the rest of the season.

Manchester United have also been linked with Coutinho but Barcelona will demand the bulk of their £105 million back should they decide to sell the Brazilian. That means getting a good deal from Real is a priority.